Tiger
The Tiger is a species from the of Panthera genus. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia. Appearence The tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore. Reaching up to 3.3 metres (11 ft) in total length and weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds), the larger tiger subspecies are comparable in size to the biggest extinct felids. Aside from their great bulk and power, their most recognizable feature is the pattern of dark vertical stripes that overlays near-white to reddish-orange fur, with lighter underparts. The most numerous tiger subspecies is the Bengal tiger while the largest subspecies is the Siberian tiger. Behavior Highly adaptable, tigers range from the Siberian taiga, to open grasslands, to tropical mangrove swamps. They are territorial and generally solitary animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey demands. This, coupled with the fact that they are endemic to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans. Of the nine subspecies of modern tiger, three are extinct and the remaining six are classified as endangered, some critically so. The primary direct causes are habitat destruction and fragmentation, and hunting. Their historical range, which once reached from Mesopotamia and the Caucasus through most of South and East Asia, has been radically reduced. While all surviving species are under formal protection, poaching, habitat destruction and inbreeding depression continue to be threats. Tigers are mainly found in the countries of India, Nepal, China, and eastern Russia. Diet Tigers are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. They will typically eat things like wild pigs, gnu, chicken, rhinos, or antelope. But they wouldn't be able to eat any of these if it wasn't for their fur. The orange (and sometimes tan) and black pattern allows them to easily hide in tall grasses and await prey to wander by. When prey does come near, the tiger stalks them for 20-30 minutes. After that, they attack. They go for the neck and sink their large teeth into the animals neck, instantly killing it. The tiger than eats until they cannot eat anymore. If there are any leftovers, they hide them under grasses and dirt until they are hungry again, then they will return for a snack. Because tigers save their food, they only need to hunt once or twice a week. Lifespan Tigers live anywhere from 15 to 20 years. They can give birth to 7 babies at once, and the babies usually weight around 2.2 pounds. Subspecies * Siberian Tiger * South China Tiger * †Bali Tiger * Indochinese Tiger * Malayan Tiger * †Javan Tiger * Sumatran Tiger * Bengal Tiger * †Trinil Tiger * †Caspian Tiger Facts * color allows it to hide in tall grasses and await prey. * Tigers do not hunt until they are 2 years old. * Tigers are great swimmers. * Tigers are the largest and strongest of all big cats. * A tigers front teeth are 4 inches long. * Half of all tigers left in the world are Bengal Tigers. * Tigers can eat 100 pounds of food in one sitting. That would be if we ate 400 hamburgers in one sitting. * A tigers skin has stripes just like its fur. The pattern of stripes is unique to each animal, these unique markings can be used by researchers to identify individuals (both in the wild and captivity), much in the same way that fingerprints are used to identify humans. It seems likely that the function of stripes is camouflage, serving to help tigers conceal themselves amongst the dappled shadows and long grass of their environment as they stalk their prey. The stripe pattern is also found on the skin of the tiger. If a tiger were to be shaved, its distinctive camouflage pattern would be preserved. Category:Animal Category:Animalia Category:Carnivora Category:Felidae Category:Mammalia Category:Endangered Species Category:Chordata Category:Panthera Category:Big Cats Category:Cats